Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Cressler, Alan

Rhododendron carolinianum

Rhododendron carolinianum Rehder

Carolina Azalea, Carolina Rhododendron, Carolina Laurel

Ericaceae (Heath Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: RHCA14

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Small, mound-shaped, broadleaf evergreen shrub, 3-6 ft. tall, with picturesque, ascending branches and smooth, thick, dark-green foliage, turning purplish in winter. Broad, funnel-shaped flowers occur in large, terminal clusters. Flowers range from white to pale bluish-pink and appear after the leaves.

From the Image Gallery

3 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: CT , NC , SC , TN
Native Distribution: S. Appalachians, n. to TN & NC
Native Habitat: Rocky woods; cool meadows; mt. stream banks

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Shade
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8)
Soil Description: Well-drained, gravelly loams.

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Bumble Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Sow tiny seeds on peat under mist or a plastic tent. Wounded, semi-hardwood cutting taken in late summer and given hormone will root in 6-8 weeks.
Seed Treatment: No pretreatment is necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Rhododendron carolinianum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Rhododendron carolinianum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rhododendron carolinianum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-03
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back